Which files to exclude from backup?

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SvenG

Which files to exclude from backup?

Unread post by SvenG » 2015-02-28, 12:12

I am working on a little backup script (in Perl) for Pale Moon and FossaMail. When the respective app isn't running, I think there shouldn't be a problem to just zip the entire folder. However, when the app is running, it creates a couple of temp files and some of these are as far as I understood locking the profile, so I want to exclude these, from my own research and stuff found on the internet I identified

Code: Select all

*/lock 
*/.parentlock 
*/parent.lock

*/cookies.sqlite-shm 
*/cookies.sqlite-wal 
*/extensions.sqlite-journal 
*/places.sqlite-shm 
*/places.sqlite-wal
*/webappsstore.sqlite-shm 
*/webappsstore.sqlite-wal
From what I found out so far the ones causing potential trouble are just the first three while parent.lock only appears to play a role on Windows. Is that correct and is that all I need to keep in mind?

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Re: Which files to exclude from backup?

Unread post by Moonchild » 2015-02-28, 12:21

If a profile is in use, your backup will not be complete. The files you are excluding hold changes since the last startup for the various databases, so making a backup excluding those files will only back up the files in their previous state.

You should only back up files when the browser is not running if you want a complete backup.
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SvenG

Re: Which files to exclude from backup?

Unread post by SvenG » 2015-02-28, 12:42

Not to have the very latest version of the profile backuped wouldn't be such a terrible problem. I run the script with a little delay on login, just want to exclude the files in case I startup the apps too early. From my usual workflow that shouldn't happen but sometimes... well... and according to Murphy that's the time where something breaks. I could also check if the app is running and end the script before the backup was created but in that case I only have an even older backup.

Locked